The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has begun investigation into the alleged food poisoning at Akakpovikope which claimed the lives of six persons in the South Tongu District in the Volta Region last Sunday.

Out of the six, four have been identified as Peace Akakpo, 35, Elias Akakpo,14, Comfort Aryee, 40, and Patience Kwaovi, 10, while the rest are yet to be identified.

They were all rushed to the Sogakope District Hospital but they died shortly after arrival.

The bodies of the deceased are expected to be sent to Accra for autopsy, while the FDA is also running tests on samples of the meal consumed by the victims.

The South Tongu District Security Council (DISEC) was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting Monday to address the problem at the time of filing this report.

According to the Volta Regional Director of the FDA, Mr Eugene Addo, samples of the meal in question had been sent to a laboratory for testing while a team had also been sent to the community and health facilities in the area for further investigations.

Last Sunday, it was reported that six persons had died after eight of them had consumed a meal of “akple” and okra soup prepared with corn flour from a mill.

Mourning

When news men visited the community Monday, many of the residents were yet to come to terms with the shocking death of the six.

Some of the residents were reluctant to cook because they were afraid their food could also be contaminated.